The Joys of Motherhood ─ A Novel

本書首度出版於1979年，以尼日利亞女性 Nnu Ego 的一生為主軸，細膩描寫母職在父權社會中的重量與矛盾。她在第一段婚姻中無法生育而被放逐，隨後在拉各斯成為母親，卻並未因此獲得安穩的人生。戰爭、貧窮與被遺棄接連而來，她必須獨自撐起家庭，也承受「母親」這個角色所帶來的期待與犧牲。本書不將母性浪漫化，而是誠實呈現其艱難與孤獨。Buchi Emecheta 以沉著而富同理心的筆觸，書寫女性在傳統、殖民與現代化夾縫中的掙扎，使本書成為非洲女性文學的重要經典。

First published in 1979, The Joys of Motherhood is Buchi Emecheta’s powerful and unsentimental portrait of womanhood, motherhood, and survival in a patriarchal society. Set in Nigeria against the backdrop of colonial rule and World War II, the novel follows Nnu Ego, a woman whose worth is measured almost entirely by her ability to bear children. After being cast out of her first marriage for infertility, she eventually becomes a mother in Lagos—only to discover that motherhood brings not security, but relentless hardship, sacrifice, and isolation. Abandoned by her husband and unsupported by her community, Nnu must fight to protect herself and her children in a rapidly changing world. Written with clarity, emotional restraint, and deep compassion, this enduring classic challenges romanticized notions of motherhood while offering a searing exploration of gender, tradition, and identity.